Portable conveyer.



Patented Aug. 7, I900.

J A BROWN v PORTABLE CONVEYER.

(Application filed July 11, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

SE BEE? Y6 J. A. BROWN.

PORTABLE CONYEYEB. (Application filed July 11, 1899.]

Patented Aug. 7, I900.

(No Model-)- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

.[RY/QIYZO?" m. QM-cbw we NORRIS PETERS co vncro-Lmyou Msmumon. u c.

JOHN ANDREW BRO WN,

PO RTAB hares.

or PORTLAND, oaseou.

GQNVEYELR.

fiPEGIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,6?6, dated August Application filed July 11, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, JOHN ANDREW BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, Multnomah county, State of Ore- .xgon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Conveyers, of which the following isa specification, reference being a part thereof.

Myinvention relates to portable conveyers for conveying wheat andfi-our in sacks from the wharf over the ships side.

The object of my invention is to-obtain a portable trestle-like frame resting on portable supports and carrying an endless traveling belt upon which the sacks are placed and whereby the same are carried up to the ships side. From the upper end of the conveycra delivering-chute is suspended, dropping the sacks into the hold of the ship, such chute to be-adapted to allow for some motion of the vessel, as would result, for example, from the swell occasioned by a passing steamer.

I carry my invention int-o eiiect asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- a Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my conve'ye'r as if in position for loading a vessel. Fig. 2 is a plan of my conveyer. Fig, 3 is an enlarged partial elevation of the upper end of the conveyer, this figure illustrating the means for alining the shafts of the upper and lower end drums so as to square the belt and keep the same in place on such drums. Fig. 4 is a cross-section, somewhat enlarged, of that part of my conveyor opposite to which it is placed. Fig. 5 is a partial plan of the upper end of the frame of my conveyer, illustrating the construction of the devices employed byme for suspending the upper end of the chute from the head of my conveyer, allowing for any forward and backward motion of the ship due to causes mentioned.

The chute is suspended, as apparent, by contrivances constitutinga universal joint. Fig. '6 is .a partial vertical longitudinal section through the center of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a partial enlarged elevation of the longitudinallyad justable bearings for the shaft of the tighten ing-d rum, and Fig. 8 is a cross-section through one of the girths supporting such adjustable bearings.

mg had to the accompanying d rawin gs, form-.

v, 1900. Serial No. 723,495. (hlomod eld The reference -n mnerals designate theparts referred to.

My conveyer comprises travels an endless belt. At the two ends of the frame are drums, each journaled in adjustable bearings, enabling the accurate adjustment of the shafts of said drums at right angles to the frame. The'object of so adjusting the said shafts is to square the belt and keep the same in place. .An enlarged detail of the construction of said adjustable bear.- ings is shown in Fig. 3. The same comprise U shaped irons 5, rigidly attached to the sides of the frame, such sides at the ends of the framebeing made of strong planks. The U- shaped irons 5 have dowels G, which are inserted in cavities therefor provided in said sides, so as to afford stability, and the "said irons are secured by screw-bolts 7. The central portions of the U-irons have protruding lugs 3, tapped and rigidly holding screws 9. The latter enter threaded openings 8' in the lugs 8. g

The boxes 10 for the end drums are respectively'fixed to arms 11, slidably attached, to

the sides of the frame, having slots 12 18, in which are inserted screw-bolts 14 14, extend through the casing of the frame. The

a frame on which 15, which are perforated and through which extend the screws 9, and nuts 16 on the screws 9, bearing against the lugs .15, furnish the means for alining the said shafts. The required adjustmentis very little. The slots 12 in the arms allow a play of about half'an in ch. The endless belt holds the said adj ustable bearings for the end drums upon their seats as adjusted. The adjustment of the end drums only becomes necessary when the belt has become unevenly stretched because 'of atmospheric conditionsor use. Normally the soles of the boxes holding the shafts of said end drums rest against the ends of the frame. The upper'end of the heltis supported by and travels over aseries of carrierrollers 24, jcurnaled crosswise in boxes afiixed on the interiorof the frame. The return end of the belt thence back and around a driving-drum. 18., fixed on the shaft of the driving-pulley 19. The looses for the shaft of. the driving pulley and drum thereon are fixedly monnted on rear end of said arms have protruding lugs passes over a tiglneningdru-m 17,

girths, the upper pair of said shoes being connected by a brace 23 and said shoes being held on said girths by means of tie-bolts 25 26.

'The girths 23 have vertical longitudinal grooves 27 28 in their upper and under sides, and the inner faces of the upper and lower shoes have tongues, as 29, sliding in such slots and holding the shoes against lateral dis.- placement. The bolts 25 26 extend through slots 30 31, out for that purpose vertically in the girths 23. Attached to the said carriage 1s a stirrup 32, connected to a. rod 33, having a threaded and projecting through a perforation in the cross-tie 34, and a nut enables the shortening of the rod 33 and therewith moving the position of the carriage holrling the tightening-drum 17 forward. This provides the means for tightening the belt to take up the slack and compensate for srretehin". I

The frame itself is constructed like a trestle and may be built of wood or iron, suitable bracing being disposed throughout the frame to aiford sufiicient strength.

The conveyer is supported on one or more portable horses or trestles,- as shown in Fig. 2. From the upper end of the conveyor is suspended a chute for discharging the elevated sacks into the hold of .the ship. allow for any forward or backward movement of the ship while loading the same, the chute, as mentioned, is suspended from the top of the conveyor by a universal joint. Such suspension contrivance consists of a bail 36, hung from cars in straps 37 38, af-

' fixed to the head of the conveyor, such bail being fastened at its heel to the chute by means of a pivot-bolt 39 and a bolt 40, projecting through a slot 41 in the upper part of said bail, also holding the'bail to'upper end of said chute,-bnt allowing said end to swivel on the bolt 39, so that the chute may adapt itself to the forward and backward movement of the ship, as mentioned. As there will be considerable downward strain of the chute on the ear-straps 37 38,1 use suspension-braces 42 for upholdingsuch straps, the upper ends of such braces being bent and their extremities threaded. Collars 43 are provided to brace against the casing, and a not on said thread ed extremities rigidly holding the threaded ends of the braces, and the lower ends of such braces are engaged by one of the bolts l5,

whereby the straps-37 38 are fastened to the head of the conveyor.

' Now what I claim -isv 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a conveyor-frame, drums at the ends of the frame, a conveyer-belt traveling over-said drums, and a'universal joint, said joint comprising a vertically-movable member, aborizontally movable member, and means forconl meeting the vertically and horizontally movable members to allow for variable movements substantially as set forth.

2. A portable conveyer for the purpose specified comprising in combination, a trestlelike frame, drums at the ends of the frame,.a conveying-belt traveling over said drums,

justing the shafts on the respective end drums, a universal. joint, said. joint comprising a vertically-niiovable member, a horizontally-movable member, and means for connecting the vertically and horizontally movable members to allow for variable movements, substantially as set forth.

3. In a portable conveyor, the combination saidv drums, means for tightening said belt, means for adjusting the shafts of the respective drums, said means com prising arms bent at right angles at one end, and carrying at their opposite ends boxes, in which the shafts are mounted, said arms having slots securing bolts, said bolts adapted to pass through the slots in the arms, bearingldg arranged in 'alineinent with the bent end of the arms, and ad justin g-screws seated in said lugs'and bent ends, substantially as shown and described. 4. in an apparatus of the class described, a conveyer-fra'rne, drums at the ends of said frame, a conveyer'belt traveling over said drums, a universal joint and a chute suspended frcm the head of the conveyer by the universal joint, said joint consisting of arms secured to the sides of the frame, ayoke proa pivotbolt, said belt pivotally connecting the yoke to the chute, and a pin depending from the chute and passing through the slot in the yoke, said pin. guiding the chute in its horizontal oscillatory movement, substantialiy as set forth.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a framealrnms mounted at the ends of said frame, a conveyerbelt traveling over said drums and a-device supported in the carrier-frame for tightening the conveyer-belt, consisting of stationary slotted girths, slidable shoes mounted above and below said girths, vertical bolts, the upper and lower shoes being connected by the vertical bolts passing through the slotted girths, bearings mounted on one of the shoes, a shaft, a. tightening-drurn,saidshaft carryingthe tightening-drum, converging arms connected to one of the shoes at opposite sides of the frame, a rod threaded on its outer end connected to cross-sill of the frame, and a nut working on the threads behind the cross-sill for adjusting the tension of the belt as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an apparatus of thejclass described, a conveyor, and a universal joint, said joint horizontally-movable member, and meansfor means for tightening the belt, means for {Lil-- with a belt-carrying frame, drums at the ends. of said frame, a conveyor-belt traveling over vided with a radial slot hinged to saidarms,

the converging arms, and passing through a comprising a vertically-movable member, a

and having its upper connecting the vertically and horizontally movable members to allow for variable move ments, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus of the class described eomprisinga frame, drums at the ends of said frame, a conveyor-belt traveling over said drums, means for tightening the belt, means for adjusting the shafts of the respective end drums, and a universal joint, said joint comprising stationary supporting-arms, a vertiaallygiiovable member hinged to said arms and a horizontal member pivoted to the vertical member, said horizontal member having the chute pivotally connected to it, substantially as described.

8. Aportable conveyer,comprisingatrestle like frame, a conveyer-belt, a chute universally suspended from the trestle-like frame, means supporting the chute, drums, means for adjusting the drums, and a braee rod 42, fixed to the means for supporting the chute end bent and threaded into the convl'eyer frame, and receiving a nut l g I l and washer for clamping said end to the frame, substantially as set forth.

9. A portable eon veyer,comprisinga trestlelike frame, a belt, drums, means for adj asting the drums, said means consisting of boxes secured to adjustable arms having the opposite ends bent at right angles thereto, a U-shaped frame located adjacent the rightangle portion on said U-shaped frame having an ear, a belt adj ustabl connecting the ear and said angular portion, bolts seeuringthe U-shaped frame to the safe in. the eonveyerand dowelpins in the ends of the iJ-shaped frame to retain said frame in a rigid position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto as fire l z mature in the presence of two Wi't'r messes- JUHN ANDREW BROWN,

W itn:

James limo, T. J. (il iismcn. 

